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Just how frustrated are we with injuries in the NBA this season? It seems as if Player X returns, Player B gets injured. The injury bug has been real this season, and it's like a plague that continues to spread across the league. Understanding the injury landscape is key in all forms of fantasy basketball.
Unfortunately, injuries will happen more often than not. It is just the nature of the game. However, in order to stay ahead of your opponents, you need to stay a top of these injury-related news. One significant add to the waiver wire could potentially make or break your season.
Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries around the NBA. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @RotoBaller @RotoBallerNBA and @fungo24!
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Notable Injury Updates Around The NBA
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (back) went down with a nasty back injury Monday night against the Nets, and is listed day-to-day. However it's reported that Lowry is still in a lot of pain and that the Raptors will be "smart" with bringing him back from this injury. Delon Wright deserves a pick up in almost all formats, as he has the upside to provide top-50 numbers until Lowry is cleared. I don't expect to see Lowry back in action until next week, and that's wishful thinking. Obviously, DeMar DeRozan will continue to be busy, as he's likely to launch about 25 shots per game. Serge Ibaka (suspension) will also see a boost. Fred VanVleet is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (concussion) sat out Wednesday's contest against the Warriors, and he's not expected to play Thursday. Griffin will still have to go through the NBA concussion protocol, so his earliest return would be Saturday against the Kings. DeAndre Jordan will continue to see an uptick in rebounding numbers, where Lou Williams will continue to bomb away. Sweet Lou punished the Warriors for 50 points for taking them lightly Wednesday. Montrezl Harrell can be used in deeper leagues.
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (ankle) slipped during warmups and re-aggravated his ankle, but it's considered very minor and he's fully expected to play this weekend. Had this game had major implications, Curry probably would've been a go. The Warriors are modeling after the Spurs, as they are pretty much rotating their stars to rest once another returns. It's pretty annoying, and it's not likely to go away unless the Warriors start dropping more games. There's no strong pickups unless Curry misses extended time. Kevin Durant goes bonkers anytime Curry misses time, evident to his 40-point explosion Wednesday.
San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (shoulder) had a set back in his road to recovery, as he suffered a "partial tear" in his shoulder last weekend. It should be noted a partial tear is just another term for sprained shoulder, so owners can at least breathe. The bad news is that the Spurs are tight lipped about everything, so we may be kept in the dark about Leonard's status. Let's hope he's back on Saturday. Kyle Anderson will continue to see minutes in Leonard's absence, and he's worth a look if you have someone to drop. He offers sneaky across the board stats but doesn't have much upside. Bryn Forbes has been hot, and is worth a short-term look as well.
Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (hamstring) is still expected to miss a couple more weeks. Chris Paul is healthy and is capable of holding down the fort. Paul went ham on Wednesday, scoring a season-high 37 points to go along with 11 dimes. CP3 is going to be on a tear for the next week or so, and Eric Gordon will also see a huge boost in value. I'd look to sell Gordon everywhere before Harden returns. Opposing managers loves to see high points total to determine a player's value. Gerald Green has been bonkers lately, and he should be owned in all leagues until Harden returns.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (elbow) will miss at least the next two games for the Pacers and Domantas Sabonis is a near must-play every time Turner is out. Sabonis was probably owned in most leagues already, but make sure he's not available on your wire. Sabonis dropped 18 points and seven boards on 8-of-15 shooting on Wednesday.
New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (ankle) is day-to-day, but Pelicans will not rush him back as they will need Davis 100 percent healthy as they try and make a playoff push. This is more like a boost across the team, as the Pelicans rely heavily on Jrue Holiday, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo.
Los Angeles Clippers forward C.J. Williams (ankle) went down with an ankle injury and was ruled out ahead for Thursday's contest rather quickly. He was on the cusp of standard league value but is now an automatic drop. With all the injuries to the Clipper back court (Austin Rivers - concussion, Patrick Beverley - knee, Milos Teodosic - foot), Tyrone Wallace is well worth a look. Wallace had the game of his life against the Warriors on Wednesday, scoring 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes of action. He's likely looking at a 30 minute role until the back court is healthy. I'd get him now in standard leagues if you had someone to drop. There's some sneaky top-100 appeal there.
Sacramento Kings point guard George Hill (personal) is not expected to be back with the team until his wife gives birth, and that may not be until the weekend. De'Aaron Fox has been playing well and he should be picked up in nearly all formats in case Fox runs away with the starting point guard role going forward. Fox has scored in double-figures four straight games, including a 11-point,10-assist game on Monday. The Kings have every reason to groom Fox, as he is their point guard of the future.
Brooklyn Nets forward DeMarre Carroll (knee) couldn't suit up Wednesday but he's listed day-to-day. He wasn't playing too well before his injury, but he can heat up in a hurry so you might want to consider your situation before you drop. Guys like Joe Harris and Caris LeVert will see more minutes, where LeVert is close to a must-own and Harris is more suited for 14 + team leagues.
Phoenix Suns power forward Marquese Chriss (hip) did not return after injuring his back Sunday, and he hasn't been cleared to practice so we're likely looking at a few more games on the sidelines. Dragan Bender erupted for a career-high 20 points on Sunday, making 6-of-8 three-pointers with six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal in 39 minutes, so he's definitely worth a look in deeper formats to see if he can keep it up. I'm just not sold on standard league value yet. This is also a good opportunity to see if the Chriss owner in your league dropped Chriss, as he was playing very well before this injury.
Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors (ankle) missed Wednesday's contest and should be considered day-to-day. Ekpe Udoh started in his place and made had 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes of action. We seen this happen before, as this was a bit of an outlier. He can very much fade the next game and should be viewed as a lukewarm pick up at best.
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (knee) is very close to a return, but there's is still currently no timetable on a set date, but Spencer Dinwiddie continues to fill the void nicely as he's become a mid-round player on the year. You should've sold high on Dinwiddie a long time ago if you read my weekly columns. Guys like Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Caris LeVert will continue to have increased usage until Ice In My Veins returns
Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles (knee) is still without a time table, and the Kings hasn't updated his recovery status. However, he has tremendous upside in fantasy. The Kings are going to be super careful with him, as he's recovering from surgically repaired knees that caused teams to pass on him during draft night. He's not likely to be much of a factor for standard league owners once he returns, but the Kings are an absolute mess and it wouldn't be surprising if they chose to use the second-half of the season developing their young core. He was last seen warming up and taking shots with the team prior to a game on Dec. 10th. If you're in a deep league and is comfortable stashing a player, it wouldn't be a terrible idea especially if you have an IR spot. He's a low-risk, high reward stash. Just my opinion.
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